This.
And some drivers just don't realise how dangerous not paying attention can be, until it is too late that is
Think bike
- Thread starter Merlin5
- Start date
This.
And some drivers just don't realise how dangerous not paying attention can be, until it is too late that is
Quite a few years ago I took one of those week long intensive bike courses. I failed it and never bothered retaking it simply because I did it for a weeks holiday rather than to get the license (no laughing please!). But I got back in my car after that course and thought "holy crap bikers are vulnerable" and have driven far more carefully ever since.
Over the last 3-4 years, where my focus has shifted from cars to bikes, I have read, heard, been told many different stories about car drivers vs. bike riders.
Prior to even thinking of getting a bike, I always thought the way you did, that most bikers were putting themselves in danger through their own actions, but since passing it’s been a total eye-opener!
Now, I wont say that all bikers are angels, I’m certainly not one, but you have to understand that there are knobs on bikes and there are knobs in cars – the latter are a higher percentage due to the fact that there are far more > 2 wheeled vehicles on the road, so it stands to reason that the education focus on them.
I’ve seen some total shocking bike riding, it seems that as the sun comes out, so do the groups of power ranger heroes – not that I consider myself a god of biking, I’m still a learner in the broad scheme of things and I accept that. These types of riders are probably the ones that appear to have gotten you on your high horse on this subject.
The flip-side of this coin is those not on two wheeled transport, and I can assure you that I have seen numerous instances of stupid, careless and downright dangerous driving – I have lost count the amount of times that drivers have pulled out on me from junctions and side roads; all on occasions where I was well within (even below) the posted speed limit and in a good clear road position. There is no way on earth that this drivers could say they hadn’t seen me, two blazing headlights and a loud exhaust are some pretty huge clues I’m not a slow moving cyclist!
It’s a real shame that a large proportion of drivers, from my own personal experience mind, are hell bent against bikers – it’s not nice having someone using their car almost like a deadly weapon, just because I have dared to filter through stationary or ~10 mph queues of traffic; and have done so carefully (10-15 mph using clutch control and dragging the rear brake).
Face it, there are **** holes in both camps, it’s just those not on a bike are in control of at least a tonne of weight and can do some serious damage.
As for the adverts – I think the “Think!” ones were quite good, especially the one where the guy doesn’t look at the junction, it was a very emotionally stirring advert for both the biker and car driver in me. Some of the adverts out there are a little counter-productive imo, they are too condescending; case in point is one running on Euro Sport where these two ***** are talking about going for a blast etc and the ad. goes on to say ‘Maybe it’s YOUR fault’. Waste of money that one, the guys sound like knobs and are the type I mention above…
My brother went flying through the rear windscreen of a car while riding his motorbike when said car braked suddenly with no warning or reason, and he was at a reasonable distance the whole time. He has lost his job because of it (torn disc in his lower spine) and has been waiting TWO YEARS for the NHS to finally get around to fixing him up.
I might be just a teeny bit biased but please, check your mirrors and blindspots properly before you do anything sudden.
I might be just a teeny bit biased but please, check your mirrors and blindspots properly before you do anything sudden.
For my safety and the safety of the biker you’re likely to hit in the near future – get off of the road, or seriously, lose this childish attitude!
You strike me as the sort of No personal insults please. Thank you. VS. that I have encountered on the numerous occasions - the type who cannot accept that my bike is at most 1/3 the width of their car, and that even if they remain central in their lane, I can pass without crossing the crown of the road on most stretches of road. This is the type that when filtering past slow/stationary traffic, actively block the road, and on a couple of occasions they have started to do so as I am along-side them!
Hes an removed because he has the opinion that you bikers dont own the road ?
I think there should be ads around the country that actually say "Think Car" because we get blamed when you incompetant bikers crash.
It's got nothing to do with who "owns the road", it's bad attitudes like yours that cause collisions in general.
If your on something small and hard to see and your doing way in excess off the limit and the traffic around you, then you cant be suprised if people dont see you.
I think bikers have a very bad image due to the "brain out lid on" summertime Carl Fogartys.
I'll be honest until i know a biker my first opinion is always bad till they prove otherwise, I dont trust em, which is one of the reasons I always watch out for what the nutters are doing.
Guess bikers think the same about drivers though
but at least ive got over a tonne of steel around me if you or I make a mistake.
I think bikers have a very bad image due to the "brain out lid on" summertime Carl Fogartys.
I'll be honest until i know a biker my first opinion is always bad till they prove otherwise, I dont trust em, which is one of the reasons I always watch out for what the nutters are doing.
Guess bikers think the same about drivers though
but at least ive got over a tonne of steel around me if you or I make a mistake.And herein lies the problem
+1 to that.
Seriously dont think that because your in a metal box you are safe, just search google and you will see lots of gory images of bikes slicing through cars like butter...
Id rather stay out of threads like these because it always comes down to pointless arguments, there are crap riders and crap car drivers, but there are these 'think bike' adverts for a reason... a lot of car drivers simply dont LOOK, specificaly blind spots, and being completely honest I have noticed this a hell of a lot more this past year ive been stuck in a car.
It should be 'THINK - what were you tought on your driving lessons' more than anything, and this goes for bikes and cars.
Though I am appaled already this year by the amount of bad riding.
If he hit the back of the car, he was too close.
Road users wether bike or car can be as bad as each other.
I see nutty bikers daily, some who make my blood boil with sheer disregard for other road users. Mind you for example, on way to work yesterday I had some lad in a 3 series BMW go sideways round a corner and almost wipe me out in the process... it was 50/50 wether I'd live or die. This happens several times a month.
I'd say you average experienced biker has much better observational skills than a similar car driver. Reason is you need to to stay alive... It doesn't make the biker a better or more skilled road user in any way, they just have to pay attention to avoid dieing on a daily basis. Bikers are just not seen on the road. We have to concentrate 100% of the time, not natter on the phone, play with air con or stereo.
The above is the very reason I light my bike up like a xmas tree, with 55watt HIDs and brake modulators etc... it's my way of reminding car drivers I'm there.
a lot of anger vented in threads like this from car drivers sheer frustration, a bike may look like he's being dangerous, when in reality he's just filtering past you poor sobs stuck in traffic on a hot sunny day.
We get wet when it's raining, thats the downside, we get where we're going faster and probably with a bigger grin in exchange
If as a part of the car test everyone had to ride a 100 miles through busy traffic on a bike, the roads would be a much safer place, it's a real eye opener. The technique to riding a bike in traffic is far removed from a car, you ride 100% defensively, not just plod along assuming everyone has seen you.
The odd car driver drives like a biker, but not many, thats just from experience sitting in passenger seats.... most assume they have been seen, I never assume anything, not because I'm a uber being, just because I need to to stay out of the morgue
I see nutty bikers daily, some who make my blood boil with sheer disregard for other road users. Mind you for example, on way to work yesterday I had some lad in a 3 series BMW go sideways round a corner and almost wipe me out in the process... it was 50/50 wether I'd live or die. This happens several times a month.
I'd say you average experienced biker has much better observational skills than a similar car driver. Reason is you need to to stay alive... It doesn't make the biker a better or more skilled road user in any way, they just have to pay attention to avoid dieing on a daily basis. Bikers are just not seen on the road. We have to concentrate 100% of the time, not natter on the phone, play with air con or stereo.
The above is the very reason I light my bike up like a xmas tree, with 55watt HIDs and brake modulators etc... it's my way of reminding car drivers I'm there.
a lot of anger vented in threads like this from car drivers sheer frustration, a bike may look like he's being dangerous, when in reality he's just filtering past you poor sobs stuck in traffic on a hot sunny day.
We get wet when it's raining, thats the downside, we get where we're going faster and probably with a bigger grin in exchange
If as a part of the car test everyone had to ride a 100 miles through busy traffic on a bike, the roads would be a much safer place, it's a real eye opener. The technique to riding a bike in traffic is far removed from a car, you ride 100% defensively, not just plod along assuming everyone has seen you.
The odd car driver drives like a biker, but not many, thats just from experience sitting in passenger seats.... most assume they have been seen, I never assume anything, not because I'm a uber being, just because I need to to stay out of the morgue
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Believe me I don't think im safe in my car, but ive had enough people screw up and murder my cars in the past that I know for a fact where i'd rather be if somebody drops a bollock.
Any one of my 3 NON FAULT accidents would have killed me or left me serious injured on a bike and 2 of them were idiots who didnt see a car never mind a bike when they pulled out on a side road (one I got T boned when she ran straight through a give way and one was some moron in range rover doing a u turn accross a dual carriage way).
Steel is easier to fix or replace and id rather have an insurance claim than pins in bones or heaven forbid a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
I've got good freinds who wont even ride on the road anymore they think the only place to take a bike is on the track. This guy actually bought this years Ducati superbike one of the limited run that they have to produce before they can race them, so he is a hardcore biker but after getting pins in his legs a few years back he'll only ride a bike on a track.
I acutally understand that mentality more than the sunshine bikers with a death wish.
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Gotta love the way all the motorbikers here aggressively defend themselves because they think they're gods gift to road sense, and then end up insulting any car drivers that dares to call them wreckless.
thinking that bikers consider themselves 'gods gift' just harks from your frustration of taking longer to go from a to b and the slowness of your car
as op topic says, think bike, or you'll kill us!
You see filter has never bothered me UNLESS im doing 70mph on a packed M1 and then you think its ok to weave in and out of traffic.
You see when somebody in a BMW does it he gets called **** but "its ok for bikes" no it isnt, its not legal, and it is dangerous.
Im sort of in this thought too, I am going to ride less on the road since my accident, with the volume of traffic these days it takes all your concentration to get from A to B, and like my accident a slight lapse in concentration can have you in hospital, so I dont want to see the outcome when its someone elses fault.
To be fair if I could afford it I would be on track all year round
To me the 'Think Bike' signs on the motorway etc are as much for the rider as for the car, Riders need to think about basically each car individually 'Is he paying attention, has he seen me etc' rather than plowing down the middle and hoping for the best.